30/03/2026
ENGLISH BIBLE READING 2026
READ THE BIBLE EVERYDAY, OUR WEAPON TO THE END TIMES!
DAILY BIBLE READINGS: MARCH 31, 2026, TUESDAY
Tuesday of Holy Week
Reading 1
Isaiah 49:1-6
Hear me, O islands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The LORD called me from birth,
from my mother's womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my glory.
Though I thought I had toiled in vain,
and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength,
Yet my reward is with the LORD,
my recompense is with my God.
For now the LORD has spoken
who formed me as his servant from the womb,
That Jacob may be brought back to him
and Israel gathered to him;
And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD,
and my God is now my strength!
It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and restore the survivors of Israel;
I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 71:1-2, 3-4a, 5ab-6ab, 15 and 17
R. (see 15ab) I will sing of your salvation.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
incline your ear to me, and save me.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother's womb you are my strength.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
Verse Before the Gospel
Hail to you, our King, obedient to the Father;
you were led to your crucifixion like a gentle lamb to the slaughter.
Gospel
John 13:21-33, 36-38
Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified,
"Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant.
One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved,
was reclining at Jesus' side.
So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant.
He leaned back against Jesus' chest and said to him,
"Master, who is it?"
Jesus answered,
"It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it."
So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas,
son of Simon the Iscariot.
After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him.
So Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly."
Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him.
Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him,
"Buy what we need for the feast,"
or to give something to the poor.
So Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night.
When he had left, Jesus said,
"Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself,
and he will glorify him at once.
My children, I will be with you only a little while longer.
You will look for me, and as I told the Jews,
'Where I go you cannot come,' so now I say it to you."
Simon Peter said to him, "Master, where are you going?"
Jesus answered him,
"Where I am going, you cannot follow me now,
though you will follow later."
Peter said to him,
"Master, why can I not follow you now?
I will lay down my life for you."
Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me?
Amen, amen, I say to you, the c**k will not crow
before you deny me three times."
REFLECTION:
John 13:21–33, 36–38 brings me into a deeply human moment—one filled with tension, love, betrayal, and weakness. What strikes me most is that Jesus already knew everything that would happen: the betrayal of Judas and the denial of Peter. Yet, He still chose to love them fully. He did not withdraw, become bitter, or protect Himself. Instead, He stayed present, calm, and committed to His mission.
This challenges me to reflect on how I respond when I feel hurt, disappointed, or betrayed. My instinct is often to distance myself or guard my heart. But Jesus shows a different way—a love that remains even when it is not returned, a strength that is not shaken by others’ failures.
Peter’s confidence also speaks to me. He was so sure of his loyalty, yet he would soon deny Jesus three times. It reminds me of my own tendencies to overestimate my strength and underestimate my weaknesses. I may have good intentions, but without humility and dependence on God, I can easily fall.
At the same time, this passage is not just about failure—it’s about grace. Jesus already knew Peter would fail, yet He still called him, loved him, and had a future for him. That gives me hope. My mistakes do not define me; God’s love and mercy do.
This Gospel invites me to love more deeply, stay humble about my limitations, and trust that even in my failures, God is still at work in me.
